1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to handles which are constructed to provide special advantage when incorporated in the slips used on oil well drilling rigs for gripping and engaging sections of drill pipe and casing employed in drilling and completing the well.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the drilling of oil and gas wells, it is necessary to handle and move very heavy sections of joints of drill pipe and casing. It is necessary at times to grip an end portion of a section of drill pipe or casing at a location on the rig floor adjacent the rotary table in order to properly position the section of drill pipe or casing for connection to an adjacent length of drill pipe or casing, or to swing the drill pipe or casing from one location to another. Also, during the making of trips into and out of the well for replacing bits and for other reasons, the drill string or casing must often be suspended from the rotary table.
When drill pipe or casing is to be suspended in the well bore from the rotary table, it is the practice on drilling rigs to engage the upper end of the top section of drill pipe or casing with mechanical slip jaws of a wedge-shaped configuration, and then lower the pipe into the opening through the rotary table until the slip jaws, which carry teeth on the inner side thereof adjacent the drill pipe or casing, are wedged tightly against the tubular element by the rotary table, and thus suspend the tubular element in the well bore.
The slip elements used for the purpose described are generally heavy steel elements and two or three members of the rig crew are usually required to place the slips about the pipe and position the slips in the rotary table after the pipe is centered in the slips and is gripped thereby. These movements are accomplished with the aid of steel handles which are attached to opposite sides of the pivotally engaged slip jaws. Because of the weight of the slips, and more especially, the weight of the section of drill pipe or casing engaged by the slips prior to the weight of both slips and casing being taken by the rotary table, movement of the slips and engaged drill pipe section or casing is difficult, and a lack of agility or a careless movement on the part of a rig crewmen may result in a severe bruise or other injury when the slip handles strike the body. Moreover, in the case of drilling of oil and gas wells in very cold or very hot environments, the steel of the slip handles can become painful to touch and to grip, even when work gloves are worn by the crewmen, as is usually the case.